From the heavy burdens of January

January doesn't have it easy - the dismantling of the Christmas sparkle and the sudden darkness that comes with it, the weather and the great expectations of ascetic lifestyle corrections as manifested in buzzwords such as "Dry January" and "Veganuary" don't make it any more likeable.

All the doors of the Advent calendar have been opened, the Christmas tree is being disposed of with dignity, Christmas trinkets have to be stowed away in boxes for another year and George Michael says a solemn farewell for 11 months with a heavy heart. And now what?

The soft focus of the warm glow of lights has bathed our world in gold for a month - now it's gone and suddenly everything that wasn't so attractive before is even darker.

In addition, there are utopian expectations that we simply hang on him, only to go back to business as usual in February, slightly frustrated as expected.

I feel really sorry for him.

"Dry January" and "Veganuary"

Well, the holidays and their harbingers demand a lot from us. Mulled wine stands, champagne binges, meat orgies and vanilla crescents have to be processed - so the idea of a "month without vices" is actually a very good and obvious one, but the contrast is like neon lights after warm candlelight. Why always these extremes?

Perhaps January would be better used for a gentle transition phase?

Let's give ourselves time

If you want to change your life, it's best to maintain a certain sense of well-being so that you don't collapse hungry (in every respect) at some point with a huge feeling of deprivation and then stuff yourself with twice as many vicious substances.

No intention, however virtuous, is usually enough to create this feeling.

Even less a loudly spoken: "No more fun!!!"

Rather, a slow, conscious glide into a lifestyle that is more beneficial to our health and the environment, with a loving understanding of ourselves, would perhaps be more effective and at the same time polish up the image of gloomy January.